July Land Use Committee meeting to continue study of Rockridge Housing.

Tomorrow night's (July 26th) meeting of the Land Use Committee will continue the committee's discussion of housing in Rockridge. Last month's meeting marked the unveiling of five alternative scenarios for Rockridge's housing future, ranging from a market-based upzoning the the entire area to more modest changes focused on incentivizing building new affordable units to leaving the current zoning as-is. (see report on that meeting below)

The committee will review some early comments from local experts on the scenarios and begin discussing the effects and impacts of the five scenarios, considering issues including affordability, traffic and parking, aesthetics, shadowing, and community atmosphere. we will also talk about where to reach out to for additional expert input.

In addition, we may (confirmation is pending) hear a presentation and discuss a proposal for another coffee shop on College Avenue; this one directly across from the libary in the storefront formerly occupied by Loot. The owners currently run a successful coffee shop in San Francisco (called "Pinhole Coffee") and hope to expand with a second store in Rockridge. The project, like all food service operations in Oakland, would require a minor conditional use permit.

UPDATE - the coffee shop owners tell me that the deal for the space fell through, so there will be no presentation tomorrow night.

We may also have some additional discussion of the recently filed application for a four-story mixed use building (first floor retail with two floors of market-rate residential rental units above), plus placing the bungalow currently occupying part of the site as a fourth floor owner-occupied penthouse unit.

The meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to come and participate.